Presidential contest content allowed, but state primary contests content preferred.
IRV for ballot questions if they’re within five points? (Only half-kidding.)
Predictions? Rumors? Who slashed whose tires?
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Reality-based commentary on politics.
JimC says
Somehow I missed this entirely. ITT Tech ran afoul of the feds.
Shocking, to someone raised on their ads. Maura Heaey is all over it, telling former students via Twitter that they can vacate their loans.
jconway says
*le sigh*
Peter Porcupine says
We have NINE CONTESTED primaries, in both parties. Obviously more primaries on the ballot, but 9 of them are contested.
2 retiring legislators, 1 retiring Senator, county commissioner, registers, etc.
Not that anybody in Boston gives a damn when they can write about Pat Jehlen.
jconway says
Write in Jessica Lambert for the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket seat vacated by Tim Madden, on the United Independent Party line. She is the only woman running in the race, only scientist in the race, and she has made fighting climate change and ending corruption on Beacon Hill her top priorities. She will vote for Speaker term limits.
Also check out Keri Thompson! I will be hanging out in Hingham all day tomorrow as a poll worker for her campaign. Very proud of them both.
Missing the Stammtisch to phone bank for both tonight.
Mullaley540 says
Many different groups (Mass. AFL-CIO, Mass. Nurses Association, Mass. Women’s Political Caucus, Mass Alliance, and the Environmental League of Massachusetts) have endorsed Joan Meschino for State Representative in Hingham, Hull, Cohasset and N. Scituate.
Vote for Joan by choosing a Democratic Primary Ballot. Fill in the bubble on the ‘write-in’ line under “Representative to the General Court” and write in “Joan Meschino, 1 Bradford Ave, Hull.
Peter Porcupine says
Those 9 primaries are just in Barnstable-Dukes-Nantucket counties.
You add in Plymouth and it’s at least eleven! And on both sides, like I said!
And there’s nothing but white noise.
Mullaley540 says
And, our Commonwealth’s Attorney General Maura Healey also endorses Joan Meschino!
jconway says
I’ll bet real money on that. It’s why it’s important to let Keri Thomlsoj compete as the progressive alternative in the general.
Mullaley540 says
Both you (and Keri) are carpetbaggers here in the 3rd Plymouth. Exhibit A being Keri’s campaign video shot completely outside the district in Boston with Emerson students who also don’t live (and vote) in the district. Sure Keri has signholders at the polls today, but NONE can actually vote for her.
Should Keri, by some miracle, actually get 150 votes in the UIP primary today, all she will be is a spoiler in November. She has absolutely zero shot at actually winning. It’s already shaping up to be a tight election this November in the 3rd Plymouth without Keri. With Keri on the ballot draining votes almost exclusively from the Democratic nominee, Keri will only make it more likely that a Trump supporting Republican takes the seat. Note that should a Republican win this November, we will not be able to get back in the Baker landslide (at least in this district) in 2018.
So all you carpetbaggers are doing is making progressive representation for us less likely. Thanks a lot. Now go home!
SomervilleTom says
My understanding is that there are no names on the ballot, because of the timing of the incumbent’s retirement. It isn’t clear to me how there can be a “Democratic nominee” if his or her name isn’t on the ballot. What specific Democratic organization has endorsed Ms. Meschino, and when?
If I were voting in this race (I’m not), here are the questions I’d want each candidate to answer:
1. Will you vote for Bob DeLeo as speaker if given an opportunity? Do you support or oppose his “Speaker for life” appointment?
2. Do you support or oppose raising taxes on the wealthy and very wealthy?
3. Do you support or oppose significantly increasing funding for public rail transportation in Massachusetts?
4. Do you support or oppose expanding state dependence on lottery and gambling revenue?
5. Do you support or oppose lifting the charter school cap?
I don’t see any of these on the issues page of Ms. Meschino.
I think “carpetbagger” is an overly harsh attack given the reality of this primary ballot.
jconway says
Keri opposes DeLeo and will vote to restore term limits.
She supports the progressive income tax and using the revenue to fix the T and our schools.
She opposes gambling in general, and won’t vote to expand it.
She opposes lifting the cap. Volunteers for Joan have Yes on 2 stickers on.
Mullaley540 says
I’m an ardent Joan supporter (no kidding) and am vehemently opposed to Charter schools. I was at the polls this morning from 7 to 10 and not a single one of us had a pro-charter school button.
Mullaley540 says
Being from Somerville, you too cannot vote in the 3rd Plymouth. FYI, I listed the progressive groups officially endorsing Joan above. (BTW, the liberal chairs of the Hingham, Hull and Scituate Democratic Town Committees all support Joan, as well as the liberal State Committeeman from Hull). Our town committees normally do not endorse in contested primaries. Furthermore, while you seem to disparage Joan’s website for failing to address issues important to you, I note Keri’s website doesn’t address any of those issues either. Joan stresses climate change (understandable for a coastal district), transportation (also understandable for a district that commutes over the Fore River Bridge and Route 3) and opiodes. Keri stresses term limits and state rep per diems (not exactly compelling issues here in the 3rd Plymouth).
And, since you don’t care for the carpetbagger moniker, what would you call a candidate that has lived in the district only a few years, whose campaign workers are almost all people from outside the district, and who promotes a campaign video shot outside the district with no one from the district (except the candidate)?
SomervilleTom says
I would REALLY like us to be more careful about the way we use words like “disparage”. I neither made nor intended a criticism of the cited website, I said only that it did not address the issues that matter to me.
I thought I was pretty clear in my comment that I can’t vote in this primary.
Mostly I wondered about your choice of phrasing: “draining votes almost exclusively from the Democratic nominee”. Having endorsements from various individuals does not, to me, mean the same as being “the Democratic nominee”.
You ask “what would you call a candidate that has lived in the district only a few years?”
I’d call that candidate a “fresh face”, a “newcomer”, or something similar. Maybe even “an outsider”. None of those carry the criticism of “carpetbagger”, yet each reflects the facts that you describe about Ms. Thompson.
jconway says
I was happy to meet her and her supporters in Hingham today. We swapped canvassing stories and they gave us their leftover coffee and bagels which was really nice. Arute and Burm’a people were also nice, but not as nice as Joan’s supporters. I wish you and your candidate the best of luck today, and the best of luck if she goes back to being the State Senate nominee. Continue to be active in your district, it needs that.
Christopher says
…and thus becomes the Dem nominee. I did think jconway once said that UIP would only challenge Dems where there were no GOP candidate and thus could not be a spoiler as Mullaley540 is alleging so some clarification would be helpful. I don’t think epithets like carpetbagger are helpful.
jconway says
Had a great talk with your candidate outside Hingham High today and wished her the best of luck, and she wished us the best of luck. I’ll be staying out here a late as it takes to get the results and I look forward to seeing how we did! We can talk about the general after the primary, we aren’t competing against Joan yet!
Mullaley540 says
Here’s hoping that Keri doesn’t get 150 votes today so that she doesn’t drain otherwise Democratic votes this November. We cannot afford either Republican (Arute or Brannon) for at least four years (since we won’t be able to rid ourselves of them in Baker’s re-election year).
Christopher says
..why all these UIP candidates couldn’t get themselves on the ballot the old-fashioned way.
jconway says
Joan and Burm aren’t on the ballot either. That’s a unique race where the incumbent is still listed since he retired after the deadline. Lambert is on the ballot as a Democrat and decided to run with us after the deadline.
What I don’t understand is why more Democratic primaries aren’t contested, especially with the horrible voting records of so many of the incumbents.
David says
why not do something about it? Write a post! I live in Jehlen’s district – of course that’s the race I’m going to pay the most attention to.
jotaemei says
but you cannot take away its prickliness. 😉
doubleman says
The Tim Toomey-Mike Connolly race has gotten very testy.
Toomey has accused Connolly of bringing dark money into the race to buy the election. I’m against all outside expenditures, but painting Sanders’s group as similar to some billionaire backed PAC is silly.
There was an interesting thread on Facebook about Toomey and choice. I’m not sure if everyone can see this because of privacy settings, but here is the link. Patricia Nolan called out someone for praising Toomey’s record on choice. The political director for Planned Parenthood of MA also got involved. Everyone is sort of right – although the part of the original letter that started the discussion and praised that,”Toomey has been a proven champion on reproductive issues throughout his career” is problematic. Toomey was anti-choice and endorsed by anti-choice groups. He has come around and now works very well with choice groups, which earned him the Planned Parenthood endorsement.
Toomey could be a lot worse and has gotten better recently, but I don’t see why many progressives would go to the mat for him. He’s out of step with much of the district and his double-dipping with the city council job is shameful (and a dealbreaker for me).
I’m predicting Toomey wins. The district is changing rapidly and his days may be numbered before he chooses to retire, though.
johnk says
It’s set up to receive unlimited funds from undisclosed donors. Maybe that’s why all their staff quit a week before the group started. Poor decision.
doubleman says
A lot of Bernie staffers really don’t like Jeff Weaver and when he was announced, that was a big problem. I’ve read that he was instrumental in the legal structure decision as well.
johnk says
hopefully they’ll get it straightened out.
Peter Porcupine says
It would HAVE to be a C-4.
jconway says
The demographics are changing, but the demographics Mike Connolly are chasing usually don’t vote in low turnout primaries, while Toomey’s base does. I could be wrong-Mike has a lot of good Class of 2006 CRLS Falcons working with him on his campaign 😉 alongside David Cohen.
jas says
In letters and press releases from others – some have pointed to a Mass The anti-choice endorsements cited in some letters/campaign literature are very misleading. There are Citizens for Life endorsements and the list of issues that supposedly represents for votes. However, an examination makes it clear that Tim never filled out a questionnaire, did not seek this “endorsement” and did not vote to support MCFL positions. MCFL will often categorize legislation as pro-life or pro-choice for demographic reasons (we think because x is y, s/he is pro-life or pro-choice). Relying on this, as it is known how MCFL works, is a real misrepresentation of this candidate.In his time in the legislature he has supported family planning and has been a leader in supporting comprehensive sexuality education (work that dates back to his time on the Cambridge School committee when this was not as easy a position to take).
With the exception of an initial opposition to a buffer zone bill in 2000 on 1st amendment groups (which was opposed by the ACLU) Toomey has always voted the pro-choice position (including subsequent patient safety measures). He subsequently voted twice in favor of safety measures protecting patients.
See also letter in Cambridge Chronicle – http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20160906/letter-toomey-stands-with-womens-rights-advocates
Regardless of any personal views, Tim Toomey has pledged to never vote to restrict the right to abortion (a position taken by many legislators such as Ted Kennedy). It is this pledge and his history of supporting the wide range of sexual health issues that has earned Tm the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund endorsement – and PPFA takes its endorsements very seriously. PPFA is the sister organization to Planned Parenthood League of MA the largest freestanding provider of sexual health services in the state as well as a national leader in sexuality education. PPFA knows what is at stake for choice in this country and is not going to lightly endorse a candidate.
doubleman says
That strikes me as spin that I’m not really buying. He didn’t do their questionnaire or seek out their endorsement. They gave it and based it on something. An unblemished pro-choice career seems like a strange thing to base it on. I think the group is terrible, so maybe they did base it on nothing, though.
He received a 50% rating from NARAL in 2015 and they are supporting his opponent in this race. Check 4a in the back of this amicus brief from PPLM, in which they cite NARAL’s opinion that Toomey has a mixed record on choice.
He’s not an anti-choice zealot by any stretch of the imagination. But he’s also not a lifelong champion for choice.
sabutai says
Though only one guy seems to be campaigning. I imagine he’ll win.
I care about the Jehlen primary just because of the implications…does $200,000 buy you a state senate seat in Mass.? And, if Kerr does manage to buy the seat for What’s-his-name in the primary, is there any room for Jehlen to run as an independent against the corporate coalition?
jconway says
Unless 150 unenrolled voters of her district write her on our ballot or the Greens. Otherwise you are stuck with Leland if he is the nominee. I would continue the fight if that unfortunate incident were to occur.
jotaemei says
Seems like quite a waste of money and ensures lower voter participation in certain races if we have a party primary for president in the spring and then a party primary for state offices in the late summer of the same year.
And, why is this primary on a Thursday?
jconway says
Election laws are made by the current crop of lawmakers who got elected that way so they aren’t interested in changing it, though I agree completely that a mid April primary tied with the presidential makes the most sense.
Galvins official answer was that folks would still be on their Labor Day holiday and it would’ve interfered with the first day of school in some areas. Unofficially, I think he’s a fan of low turnout primaries since it helps keep people like him in power. He’s certainly not a fan of making it easier for people to vote.
Christopher says
Galvin wouldn’t have to worry about his position.
jconway says
And he will make sure it’s a low turnout primary next time and duck debates like he did the last time he faced a serious primary challenger.
kbusch says
Given that Governor Baker is going to have the opportunity of nominating so many important judges, it seems odd that the Governor’s Council has attracted so little attention. In the fourth district, there’s a race between Stephen Borelli and Terrence Kennedy, the incumbent. Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts endorses Kennedy. In answer to their questionnaire, we get one question with rather different answers:
I’m not sure quite what “needs of the community” means in this context. As with much of his campaign material, I feel Borelli’s talking about something obliquely that those “in the know” understand. Obviously, if his key litmus test is something he can’t articulate — does even he “GET IT”? — then there’s something weird here.
Borelli has also been talking a lot about the opioid epidemic but it’s rather unclear to me what possible effect the Governor’s Council can have on that.
Kennedy’s campaign material does not make a favorable impression. It’s of the “lovely wife and lovely children and I’m totally local” variety. To put it charitably, his responses to the PDM questions were not proof-read. He does say good things in the PDM questionnaire about minimum sentences and pardons that sound promising.
So from everything I read, I’m inclined to vote for Kennedy, the incumbent, but there’s barely enough information to make a ringing endorsement — and even less about what we should look out for regarding Baker appointments.
SomervilleTom says
I know I shouldn’t admit this, but I voted for Mr. Kennedy because I got a robo-call from Joe Curtatone (our mayor) strongly supporting him and encouraging me to vote for him.
I was there anyway voting for Pat Jehlen, so I voted for Mr. Kennedy as well.
kbusch says
Kind of like contributing to Warren’s PAC. There are some politicians whose influence we’d like to see grow.
kbusch says
I’ve been rolling around in my head what “needs of the community” mean in this context. Borelli has been quite vague so everything here is speculative. If I were African-American, I’d probably be pretty suspicious of some white guy telling me he’s all behind the “needs of the community” hint hint. I’d wonder whether I were part of that community — and, if so, how would that manifest?
Another parallel suspicion I might have is that this is a way to say one is for judges that do tougher sentencing.
In any case, Borelli could mean these things or the opposite of these things.
jconway says
“YOU be the judge”
No thank you! The people are not judges and they shouldn’t be elected, I trust that appointed judges vetted by legislature will be preferable to ones the people pick or the biases Mr. Borelli seems to be running on.
My ideal Governors Council candidate says “I will vote to appoint anyone vetted by the Mass Bar Association and selected by our Governor. I will refuse a salary and any per diems or perks and lobby to eliminate this anachronistic vestige of colonial government”‘
Christopher says
Getting attention or not I’m afraid is a vicious cycle. Press probably doesn’t cover them because they think voters aren’t interested, but then we hear the complaints that voters are uninformed and that is a reason to get rid of the Council.
jconway says
I get the idea of keeping it out of the legislature, but what’s wrong with appointing retired judges with clean records, some law professors, and a few ordinary citizens to do this, and train them on how to vet it?
Part of the viscous cycle is morons like Devaney will get re-elected over and over again because nobody shows up to these primaries committed to changing the guard in these races. It’s bad enough most voters don’t even know who their state reps and senators are, let alone that they are up for re-election today. I get wanting to avoid Borks, but we keep electing half wits to do a very specific job.
Christopher says
…should have the approval of the people. Again, nobody shows up because they aren’t informed. THAT is the part that needs changing. Devaney has two opponents, but also plenty of supporters. There are things to disagree with her on, but as someone who knows her I can also say she is not the evil incarnate she’s portrayed as by some. I do not have a dog in that fight, but back in my district Eileen Duff is great and if more people had her for a Councilor the fewer calls I think there would be to abolish the Council.
jconway says
Then let them vet it. Works for the United States Supreme Court. Using your logic we should elect our judges, which is a terrible idea. The virtual representation argument for the GC is weak since the caliber of people elected to the GC is even worse than the caliber elected to our legislature. Your friend not withstanding, she’s in the minority who don’t view the job as a way to impose their biases and agendas onto what should be a streamlined process.
Christopher says
…that you get keeping it out of the legislature? It most certainly does not work for the Supreme Court – just ask Merrick Garland. Electing judges directly is the worst idea. If the caliber of Councilors is low, maybe that’s OUR fault. We get the government we deserve.
Christopher says
…or any number of bad acts you could cite, then we would have to get rid of some significant offices, including the Speakership of the MA House and the Governorship of Illinois. Let’s not further hijack this thread. On the matter of the very existence of the GC I refer my honourable friend to comments I have made previously on this matter.